Determinants of health-promoting lifestyle in ambulatory cancer patients.
The Health Promotion Model was tested as an explanatory framework for health-promoting lifestyle in a sample of 385 ambulatory cancer patients undergoing treatment in 13 clinical sites in the midwestern United States. The aim of this study was to determine the extent to which cognitive/perceptual and modifying variables identified in the Health Promotion Model explain the occurrence of health-promoting behaviors in adults with cancer. A secondary aim was to determine the potential of illness-specific cognitive/perceptual and modifying variables for further explaining the occurrence of health-promoting behaviors in adults with cancer. Multiple regression analyses revealed that 23.5% of the variance in health-promoting lifestyle was explained by the model cognitive/perceptual variables definition of health, perceived health status and perceived control of health and the modifying variables education, income, age and employment. When illness-specific variables were included in the analysis, initial reaction to the diagnosis of cancer was found to be a significant contributor to the regression. Study results support the importance of both general health-related and cancer-specific cognitive/perceptual factors in explaining the occurrence of health-enhancing behaviors among ambulatory cancer patients; these factors may therefore be suitable targets for interventions to encourage adoption of healthy lifestyles.
Frank-Stromborg
M
M
Health Promotion Research Program, Northern Illinois University, DeKalb 60115.
Pender
N J
NJ
Walker
S N
SN
Sechrist
K R
KR
D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D000553:Ambulatory Care; D003071:Cognition; D005260:Female; D015438:Health Behavior; D006293:Health Promotion / Q000379:methods*; D006801:Humans; D008019:Life Style; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D015146:Midwestern United States; D009369:Neoplasms / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000523:psychology*; D012044:Regression Analysis